Class  *\\\         Book%i  ^ 

The  Memorial  anj  Library  Asso. 

WESTERLY.  R.  I. 

BESIDE  THE  MAIN  TOPIC  THIS  BOOK  TREATS  OF 

4 

Sub;.  No.  page 


Avery  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


i£x  ICtbrtjs 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  book 

Because  it  has  been  said 
" Ever  thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

Except  a  loaned  book." 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


INTRODUCTORY  ADDRESS. 

Reader,  pray  lend  me  your  attention, 
While  with  much  brevity  1  mention 
Some  of  the  wonder?  of  creation, 
Scattered  throughout  each  clime  and  nattos* 
Of  eveiy  other  quadruped 
The  elephant  stands  at  the  head ; 
All  other  beasts  that  roam  the  field, 
To  him  in  bulk  and  strength  must  yield, 
Then  comes  the  huge  rhinoceros, 
With  elk,  and  gnu  or  horned  horse ; 
The  tali  giraffe  and  buffalo, 
And  camels  which  o'er  deserts  go ; 
The  llama,  zebra,  deer,  and  goat, 
And  swiftly-bounding  antelope ; 
And  monkeys  so  much  like  a  man, 
Especially  the  orang-outang  1 
Lions,  tigers,  leopards  rare, 
The  grizzly  and  the  polar  bear ; 
Panthers,  hyenas,  wolves,  and  foxes, 
Such  as  are  kept  in  cage  or  boxes ; 
Sable,  ermine,  marten,  lynx, 
Beaver,  otter,  muskrats,  minks. 
And  birds  there  are  in  every  land, 
From  Alpine  rocks  to  desert  sand : 
The  ostrich,  eagle,  vulture,  hawk, 
And  crane  with  legs  too  long  to  walk ; 
Likewise  swans,  both  black  and  white, 
And  paroquets  with  plumage  bright; 
And  every  kind  of  singing-bird 
That  eye  hath  seen  or  ear  hath  heard : 
All  fish  that  in  the  ocean  swim, 
From  monstrous  shark  to  herring  trim ; 
Whale,  walrus,  porpoises,  and  seals, 
And  spurious  ones,  like  snakes  and  eels  I 
The  ichneume  and  crocodile, 
Found  near  the  banks  of  Egypt's  Nile  ; 
Serpents  and  reptiles,  insects,  all, 
That  walk  or  swim,  or  rly  or  crawl ; 
Choice  specimens  of  antique  art 
From  Pompeii's  long-buried  mart; 
Or  mummy,  long  in  darkness  hid 
In  catacomb  or  pyramid  ; 
Or  works  of  yet  more  modem  dates, 
From  foreign  climes  or  our  own  states— 
As  marble  statue,  plaster  bust, 
Armor  of  steel  unsoiled  by  rust ; 
Portraits  of  great  and  noble  men — 
Columbus,  Franklin,  Howard,  Perm, 
Or  of  the  great  illustrious  one, 
Our  own  beloved  Washington 
1 


2 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK* 


All  these,  and  hundreds  yet  untold, 
Which  scarcely  could  be  bought  for  gold. 
Are  near  at  hand,  and.  would  you  see  'em, 
Go  to  the  "American  Museum." 
There  P.  T.  Bazinumts  generosity 
To  gratify  your  curiosity, 
Has  gathered  all — and  any  day, 
If  but  two  shillings  you  will  pay. 
You're  freely  welcome  to  walk  in, 
And  each  strange  creature  to  examine. 


Uncle  Find-out  had  two  nephews,  who,  losing  their  parents  hi  infancy, 
became  the  inmates  of  his  abode,  subject  to  his  guardianship  and  protection. 
He  was  a  man  most  exceedingly  kind  in  point  of  disposition,  beloved  by  al? 
who  had  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance,  and  admired  and  beloved  by  none 
more  sincerely  and  deservedly  than  by  the  members  of  his  own  family,  which 
consisted  of  himself,  an  old  bachelor,  the  two  nephews  already  alluded  to.  hi* 
faithful  Tom,  and  Maggy  the  housekeeper.  Uncle  Find-out  loved  Ins  neph- 
ews and  they  in  return  loved  him  ;  who  could  help  it  ? — for  he  was  a  good- 
-  hearted, kind  old  gentleman,  and  made  everybody  about  him  happy.  He  was 
In  the  habit  of  visiting  the  city  of  New  York  occasionally,  and,  as  the  time  for 
doing  so  had  arrived,  he  concluded  his  nephews  would  be  pleased  to  accom- 
pany  him  to  the  empire  city,  to  behold  the  sights  to  be  seen  there,  as  well  as 
?o  witness  the  tricks  upon  travellers.,  so  expertly  performed  in  a  thousand  dif 
ferent  ways.  He  accordingly  accosted  his  nephews,  who  had  just  entered 
his  snv.fr,  old  fashioned  parlor :  "  Well,  boys,  what  say  you  for  a  journey  to 
New  York  with  your  uncle  to-morrow  V — **  To-morrow  never  comes,  uncle, 
go  they  say,"  replied  the  elder,  whose  name  was  Charles.  The  other  one, 
Alfred,  reproved  his  brother  for  supposing  his  uncle  would  propose  anything 
he  did  not  intend  to  carry  into  effect,  and,  turning  to  his  uncle,  replied,  "  My 
brother  and  I  will  be  most  happy  to  accompany  you,  dear  uncle,  and  I  trust 
we  shall  convince  you  how  highly  we  value  your  kindness  by  our  good  con- 
duct, not  only  during  our  stay  in  New  York,  but  also  upon  our  return  to  our 
rural  hermitage  on  the  banks  of  the  Passaic."  Charley  asked  his  uncle  if  he 
would  go  with  them  to  the  various  places  of  amusement.  Uncle  Find-out  re- 
plied that  he  intended  they  should  see  all  the  places  of  amusement  where 
boys  ought  to  go,  but  that  they  must  bear  in  mind  that  there  were  some 
places  he  should  decline  taking  them  to.  The  boys  nodded  a  cheerful  as- 
sent to  the  remarks  of  Uncle  Find-out,  and  Alfred  then  said,  "  You  will  per- 
haps take  us  to  the  'Museum'  under  the  control  of  Mr.  Barnum." — "  To  be 
isure  I  will,  and  there  you  will  see  '  all  the  world  in  Bingham'  in  that  ark  of 
the  city  that  has  something  of  everything  in  it  worth  looking  at.  Bat,  boys, 
Drst  of  all,  let  me  know  what  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  '  museum.'  "  Char* 
fey  replied  that  it  was  used  to  describe  a  building  set  apart  as  a  repository  for 
vuch  things  as  related  to  the  arts  and  sciences,  or,  in  other  words,  a  cabinet 
ji  curiosities. 

*'  You  are  right,  my  boy.  Originally  it  was  the  name  given  to  an  institu- 
tion founded  by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  about  two  hundred  and  eighty  years 
before  the  birth  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  promotion  of  learning  and  the  support 
of  learned  men.  We  learn  from  Strabo  that  the  museum  formed  a  part  of  the 
palace,  and  that  it  contained  cloisters  or  porticoes,  a  public  theatre  or  lecturo- 
room,  and  a  large  hall  where  the  learned  men  used  to  dine  together.  The 
museum  was  supported  by  a  common  fund  supplied  from  the  public  treasury, 
and  the  whole  was  under  the  superintendence  of  a  priest,  who  was  appointed 
by  the  king,  and,  after  Egypt  became  a  province  of  the  Roman  empire,  by 
the  Csesars.  Botanical  and  zoological  gardens  appear  to  have  been  attached 
to  the  museum  ;  other  additions  were  also  made  by  Claudius." 

The  time  to  go  to  rest  having  arrived,  the  boys 'took  leave  cf  their  uncle 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


3 


with  a  hearty  "  Good -night,"  and  a  kiss  printed  warmly  upon  the  good  man's 
cheek  j  and  up  stairs  they  ran  to  their  slumbers — impatient  enough,  you  may 
be  sure,  for  the  morning  light,  and  ardently  praying  for  a  bright,  clear  day  for 
their  journey. 

The  boys  had  their  wish  :  the  morning  broke  in  upon  their  slumbers  with 
a  bright  sun  and  a  cloudless  sky.  Breakfast  was  soon  disposed  of.  Down 
to  the  steamboat  they  went  with  their  uncle;  the  bell  for  starting  rang  ;  the 
paasengers  hurried  on  board  ;  the  captain  called  out,  ,4  All  aboard  !"  and  in  a 
minute  old  Dame  Steam  assured  them  they  were  onward  for  New  York.  A 
couple  of  hours  passed  merrily  on,  when  the  mighty  city  with  her  steeples  in 
the  distance,  her  shipping  in  the  foreground,  flags  flying,  guns  firing.  Trinity 
bells  ringing*  and  a  host  of  people  with  happy  faces,  met  their  astonished 
gaze.  Landing  at  Pier  No.  1.  the  party  made  the  best  of  their  way  through 
the  motley  groups  of  coach  and  cab  men,  boarding-house  runners,  dec,  &c. 
"  Coach,  sir?" — "  Cab,  sir?" — Take  your  luggage,  gemmen?" — "  Our  card, 
sir  V — "  The  Globe,  sir  V — u  Astor  House  the  best,  sir" — "  It?s  no  such  thing, 
sir  !  the  Irving's  the  best!" — "  The  Times,  Herald,  Tribune,  Ned  Buntline's 
Own,  sir,  four  for  six  cents  !"  and  a  thousand  other  cries,  led  the  boys  to  sup* 
pose  that  the  city  was  a  Tower  of  Babel.  A  few  minutes  more,  and  the 
party  arrived  at  the  Museum.  The  musicians  were  playing  the  national  air, 
**  Hail  Columbia,  happy  Land  !"  Large  transparencies  adorned  the  exterior 
of  the  buildings,  representing  the  largest  man  in  the  world,  Mr.  Hale,  being 
eight  feet  high,  and  weighing  five  hundred  and  eight  pounds  ;  Miss  Eliza 
Simpson,  the  giantess,  also  eight  feet  high,  and  weighing  three  hundred  and 
thirty-seven  pounds :  the  fairy  queen  "  Titania,"  twenty-four  inches  in  height ; 
the  M  Great  Western,"  in  his  varied  characters  :  and  all  these,  with  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  curiosities,  to  be  seen  within  the  walls  of  this  magnificent 
museum. 

Having  received  their  tickets  of  admission  the  party  proceeded  to  Boom 
No.  1 — and  didn't  the  boys  stare  with  all  the  eyes  they  had  ?  They  saw  so 
much  to  look  at,  that  if  their  heads  had  been  full  of  eyes  they  would  not  have 
had  eyes  enough  to  see  all  that  was  iherc  staring  them  in  the  face.  At  the 
top  of  the  room  was  a  case  of  beautiful  birds,  among  which  was  the  green 
stork  of  the  East  Indies,  the  scarlet  flamingo  of  South  America,  the  pouched 
stork,  or  adjutant,  of  the  Indies.  Uncle  Find-out  informed  them  that  the 
flamingo  was  from  three  to  four  feet  high,  purple-red  on  the  back,  and  rose- 
colored  wings  ;  that  they  formed  lines  for  the  purpose  of  fishing,  and,  when 
they  reposed  on  the  shore,  the  same  disposition  to  be  in  files  or  troops  re- 
mained ;  that  they  appointed  a  sentinel  for  their  common  security,  who,  upon 
alarm,  makes  a  braying  cry  similar  to  the  noise  of  a  trumpet,  which  is  the 
signal  for  departure  from  danger.  The  tongue  was  considered  a  delicacy 
among  the  Romans.  They  build  their  nests  in  the  form  of  a  sugar-loaf,  about 
twenty  inches  high.  In  consequence  of  their  long  legs,  they  straddle  over 
their  nests,  their  legs  hanging  down  on  each  side  and  resting  on  the  ground. 
"  Is  there  anything  particular  in  ihe  pouched  stork  V — "  The  feathers  from 
beneath  the  wing  form  the  beautiful  light  plumes  which  the  French  call  mar- 
nbcaus.  The  flamingo  is  found  in  Senegal  and  India.  When  standing  in 
loner  rows  upon  the  shore,  they  have  the  appearance  of  soldiers  in  full  feather." 

He  then  called  their  attention  to  the  albatross,  the  great  petrel,  cormorant, 
booby,  gamut,  and  frigate  pelican.  This* last,  he  informed  his  nephews,  was 
called  the  man-of-war  bird,  from  the  rapidity  of  its  flight,  being  met  with  fre- 
quently four  hundred  leagues  at  sea,  and  was  the  active  warrior  against  the 
flying-fish.  These  birds  attack  the  boobies,  and,  striking  them  upon  their 
bodies,  force  them  to  disgorge  the  product  of  their  fishing,  which  they  dexter- 
ously seize  before  it  falls  in  the  water.  The  latter  bird  takes  the  name  of 
booby  from  its  stupidly  submitting  to  the  attacks  of  both  men  and  animals. 

The  case  opposite  the  latter  next  attracted  the  attention  of  our  wondering 
admirers.    It  contained  a  beautiful  variety  of  ducks,  from  various  parts  of 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS   IN  NEW  YORK. 


Frigate  or  Man-of-War  Eird,  Pelican,  and  Flamingo.— (See  page  3.) 

North  America,  Europe,  and  the  cape  of  Good  Hope.  Their  uncle  then  drew 
their  attention  to  a  fine  specimen  of  the  joints  from  the  Giants'  Causeway  in 
Ireland.  From  this  they  turned  to  a  native  rock  crystal,  weighing  two  hun- 
dred and  twelve  pounds,  found  in  a  silver-mine  about  five  hundred  miles  from 
the  city  of  Mexico ;  and  also  to  a  case  of  imitation  diamonds,  after  those  in  the 

possession  of  vari- 
ous crowned  heads 
in  Germany,  Rus- 
sia, Portugal,  <5tc, 
with  their  relative 
sizes  and  values — 
and  oh!  didn't  they 
wonder  that  such 
an  immense  value 
§  should  be  put  upon 
such  diamonds  ? 

The  riext  attrac- 
tion presenting  it- 
self to  their  notice 
was  the  camelop- 
ard,  or  giraffe.  Un- 
cle Find-out  told 
them  that  it  was  a 
native  of  Africa  : 
when  full  grown, 
its  height  is  about 
twenty-two  feet- 
its  s*.m  is  a  beautifully-spotted  brown  upon  a  white  ground.  Its  favorite  food 
is  the  leaf  of  the  ac  acia  and  ash  trees. 


sights  and  Wonders  in  new  york. 


5 


He  then  called  them  to  look  at  the  case  of  plovers,  widgeons,  geese,  goos- 
anders, *&c. ;  but  Alfred  called  to  his  uncle  and  his  brother  to  look  at  the  beau- 
tiful infant  sleeping  with  humming-birds  hovering  around  her.  Oh.  what 
lovely  birds  !"  exclaimed  one.  "  What  beautiful  plumage  !"  cried  the  other. 
From  this  their  attention  was  drawn  to  a  variety  of  beautiful  engravings  of 
Queens  Adelaide  and  Victoria,  Prince  Albert,  the  duchess  of  Kent,  &c,  all 
of  England  ;  but  our  heroes  thought  much  more  of  the  likeness  of  General 
Tom  Thumb  and  of  P.  T.  Barnum,  Esq.,  the  indefatigable  manager,  who  so 
unceasingly  caters  for  the  amusement,  gratification,  and  instruction,  of  his 
young  visiters,  and  who,  in  his  journeyings  with  Tom  Thumb,  visited  and 
conversed  with  all  the  principal  crowned  heads  of  Europe — and  they  concluded 
that  his  Museum  was  worth  all  the  kings,  queens,  and  nabobs,  of  the  world. 

Walking  on,  they  came  to  a  case  of  splendid  pheasants,  of  all  colors  and 
degrees  of  beauty — fowls  of  every  variety,  including  a  skeleton  of  one  of 
those  birds.  "  Well,  I  declare!"  cried  Charley,  "who  would  suppose  that  a 
bird  was  so  curiously  formed  ?  W  hat  a  number  of  small  bones  !  how  ex- 
quisitely put  together !" 

Alfred  called  to  his  brother  to  come  and  lcok  at  a  picture  representing  a  re- 
ligious procession  in  the  church  of  the  Madeleine,  in  Paris.  They  both  ad- 
mired this  picture.  The  mechanical  panoramic  pictures  next  attracted  their 
attention.  The  first  was  a  "  Vue  du  Pont  Neuf  a  Paris'' — steamers  in  mo- 
tion, carriages  passing,  omnibuses  proceeding  to  their  respective  stations — 
all  beautifully  represented.  The  second,  a  steam-engine  in  operation.  The 
third,  a  scissors-grinder  at  work.  The  fourth,  stone-cutters  sawing  a  block 
of  marble.  The  fifth,  a  railroad  bridge,  with  cars  passing  over.  The  sev- 
enth, opera-dancers,  with  all  gayety  and  beauty.  The  eighth,  the  musical 
concert  of  monkeys.  They  noticed  the  delicacy  of  the  principal  performer's 
touch,  the  motion  of  his  fingers,  the  beating  of  his  foot  to  the  tune ;  the  leader 
beating  time,  and  accompanying  the  music  with  his  voice:  and  the  boys  ex- 
pressed the  greatest  delight  at  the  beauty  and  regularity  of  the  movement 
that  put  these  pictures  in  operation. 

From  these  viewrs  they  turned  to  examine  the  hoopoe  birds,  the  glossy 
pheasant  from  the  Himeleh  mountain,  and  the  fire-back  pheasant  from  the 
same  place.  The  color  of  the  feathers  on  the  back  they  discovered  looked 
exactly  like  fire  ;  and  Uncle  Find-out  agreed  with  them  that  it  was  a  most 
beautiful  specimen.  From  this  their  uncle  called  their  attention  to  the  great 
northern  divers  of 
North  America,  tur- 
key-buzzards, gulls 
of  every  species — 
toucans,  and  other 
birds,  including  do- 
mestic fowls,  when, 
holy  fathers !  what 
a  noise  saluted  Un- 
cle Find-out's  ears! 
"  What  are  these  ? 
Uncle,  uncle,  do  tell 
us!"  "Shut  up  your 
potato-traps !  — you 
young  rogues,you'll 
frighten  Miss  Fan- 
ny Elssler  out  of 
her  wits!"  "Who's 
Miss  Fanny  Elss- 
ler, uncle  ?" — "Oh, 
you'll  see,  by-and- 


6 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


by." — "  But,  pray,  do  tell  us  what  birds  are  these  V — "  They're  birds  of  para- 
dise, boys,  and  are  found  in  the  island  of  New  Guinea." — "  Oh,  what  beau- 
tiful colors  !  Look  at  that  one  with  the  rich  crimson  and  green  feathers,  and 
those  elegant  streamer  black  feathers  flowing  so  gracefully  from  the  tail  of 
the  gTeen-tufted  one.  What  an  elegantly-shaped  bird  it  is,  uncle  !" — "  Yes, 
and  the  ancients  supposed  that  they  lived  on  dew,  had  no  feet,  and  waited 
through  the  air. 

"  Look  here,  my  boys ;  here  is  a  specimen  of  the  cock  of  the  rock,  from 
South  America,  and  a  very  fine  bird  it  is."  At  length  they  came  to  the  last 
case  of  birds,  containing  mocking-birds,  larks,  fly-catchers,  field-fairs,  &c, 
when,  highly  delighted  with  what  they  had  seen,  Uncle  Find-out,  taking  the 
lead,  introduced  them  into  Room  No.  2. 

Thefe  they  beheld  the  portraits  of  all  our  great  men,  from  Washington 
downward — generals,  orators,  statesmen — who  have  left  names  deeply  en- 
graven in  the  hearts  of  a  brave  and  great  nation  ;  patterns  and  examples  wor- 
thy of  imitation  by  those  who  will  have  to  play  their  parts  in  the  great  drama 
of  life. 

Also  the  wax  profiles  of  some  thirty  Mexican  generals,  enclosed  ki  a  hand- 
some frame. 

Mrs.  Pelby's  celebrated  groups  of  wax  figures  then  came  in  for  a  share  of 
deep  and  thoughtful  consideration  by  the  whole  party. 

And  first,  the  Intemper- 
ate Family.  The  group 
composes  one  family:  the 
old  man  at  the  table,  with 
the  bottle  in  his  pocket,  is 
the  father  of  the  dying 
man  ;  both  are  drunkards. 
The  fruits  of  the  poison- 
ous bottle  are  too  clearly 
depictured  in  the  misery, 
poverty,  and  wretched- 
ness, around  the  unfortu- 
nate group.  "  Look  well, 
my  boys,  on  that  picture 
of  wto — remember  an  un- 
cle warns  you — see  that  you  touch  not,  taste  not,  handle  not,  the  contents  of 
the  intoxicating  bottle,  lest  your  condition  should  be  as  unfortunate  as  the  one 
you  are  now  gazing  upon."  They  shuddered,  and  passed  to  the  other  side, 
to  the  groups  representing  the  Last  Supper  of  onr  Lord  with  the  disciples. 

Uncle  Find-out  informed 
his  nephews  that  the  mo- 
ment selected  by  the  artist 
was  where  Jesus  says — 
"One  of  you  shall  betray 
me."  He  then  drew  their 
attention  to  the  countenan- 
ces of  the  disciples,  and  re- 
quested them  to  point  out 
the  one  that  appeared  the 
most  faithful  delineation  of 
the  betrayer  of  Jesus.  In 
a  few  minutes  the  two  boys 
recognised  Judas,  and  each 
—  exclaimed,  "  That,  uncle, 
is  the  man !" — and  he  quietly  nodding  assent,  they  passed  on  to  the  groups 
representing  the  trial  of  Jesus  before  Pontius  Pilate.  "  There,  my  children," 
exclaimed  Uncle  Find-out,  "  is  a  solemn  representation  of  the  Son  of  God, 


SIGHTS   AXD  WONDERS   IN  NEW  YORK. 


7 


Standing  as  a  prisoner,  bound  as  a  criminal,  the  object  of  Jewish  hatred  and 
revenge.    I  need  not  pass  any  further  remarks  upon  it;  you  are  sabbath- 
school  scholars,  and  well  i 
know  the  history  of  this 
trial,  of  one  of  the  best  of  [ 
beings,  the  friend  of  sin-  (j 
ners." 

■  Oh,  yes,"  cried  Char- 
ley ;  u  our  teacher  has  often 
talked  with  us  upon   the  j 
Redeemer  and  'his  suffer- 
ings." 

"Yes,  brother;  and  he 
•always  used  to  beg  of  us 
never  to  forget  what  Jesus 
had  done  for  us,  poor  •chil- 
dren of  the  dast/' 

Here    Uncle  Find-out 
purchased,  for  six  cents,  a 
pamphlet  describing  all  the 
wax  statuary,  and  also  containing  a  copy  of  the  death-warrant  oy  our 
Savior." 

*'  Let  us  turn,  children,  now,  to  a  more  pleasing  subject.  Behold  the  new- 
born babe  of  Bethlehem,  whose  birth  made  heaven  echo,  and  angels  shout, 
*  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest — peace  on  earth — good-will  to  men  !'  " 

This  is  a  beautiful  t 
scene,  uncle,"  exclaimed 
the  boys. 

M  Yes  it  is,  my  boys. ! 
Can  you  recite  any  pas- 
sage of  Scripture  that  will 
■suit  the  representation  be- 
fore you  V 

"  1  And  she  brought  form 
her  first-born  son,  and 
wrapped  him  in  swad- 
dling-clothes, and  laid  him 
in  a  manger.'  '* 

u  Very  good,  Alfred.    I  - 
am  glad  you  have  fixed  1 
upon  a  passage  so  appro- 
priate.   Do  you  remember  the  cause  that  compelled  the  mother  to  shelter 
the  babe  in  a  manger  VJ 

"Oh  yes,  sir.    Because  there  was  no  room  in  the  inn." 

In  passing  from  these  interesting  subjects,  their  attention  was  drawn  to  a 
magic  dial,  which,  to  all  appearance,  presented  no  evidence  of  any  connexion 
between  the  hand  of  the  dial  and  the  machinery  in  the  base.  This  excited 
their  surprise ;  and  after  some  reflection,  they  concluded  they  both  would 
have  to  find  that  out  when  they  had  more  time  and  ability  than  at  present 
At  any  rate,  it  was  passing  strange  to  them,  and  as  hard  to  find  out  as  dou- 
ble-rule of  three,  tare  and  tret,  or  vulgar  fractions. 

Having  taken  a  view  of  Che  last  objects  in  the  room,  their  uncle  \ed  them 
to  room  No.  3,  when  their  attention  was  called  to  the  great  polar  bear,  of 
Greenland,  the  black  bear  and  cub,  of  North  America,  and  the  badger,  of 
Europe.  Alfred  was  tickled  almost  to  death  at  the  sight  of  such  strange- 
iookicg  creatures. 


I 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS   IN  NEW  YORK, 


Their  uncle  thea 
Informed  them,  the 
white  bear  inhab- 
ited the  icy  regions 
of  the  north;  that 
It  fed  upon  fish  ancl 
other  marine  ani- 
mals; that  it  was 
Hjiil  not  essentially  car- 
Hjg  nivorous,  or  a  flesh- 
feeding  animal,  but 
could  be  brought  to- 
live  upon  bread , 
was    an  expert 
swimmer  and  di- 
ver? and  that  the 
inside  of  its  mouth 
v/ as  entirely  black. 
That  >  the  _  black 
bear  lived  in  for- 
$itE8i&£^^gs=^*f**e~~~'    ests,  and  fed  upon 
fruits  and  flesh ;  was  skilful  in  fishing,  and  lived  in  the  hollows  of  Hving  trees* 
Alfred  then  noticed  a  rather  curious  animal — a  common  sheep,  with  an  un- 
common fleece,  eighteen  inches  long,  from  Connecticut. 

In  this  room,  also,  were  several  specimens  of  the  horns  of  the  stag,  moose, 
&e. ;  also  a  hornet's  nest,  of  large  size ;  a  very  beautiful  gazelle,  noted  for  the 
beauty  of  its  eye,  an  inhabitant  of  the  north  of  Africa ;  a  fine  fox ;  and  many 
other  things  of  less  note ;  when,  at  length,  their  attention  was  called  to  the- 
great  African  lion ;  a  zebra,,  beautifully  striped  ;  a  cougar ;  a  gnu,  or  horned 
kcrse :  a  sloth:  and  a  wolf. 


Th/2  Gnu. 


SIGHTS   AND   WONDERS   IN  NEW  YORK. 


9 


Uncle  Find-oat,  to  inquiries  relative  to  the  lion,  informed  bis  nephews  that 
tne  lion  was  of  the  cat-species,,  and  the  strongest  of  animals  feeding'  upon 
flesh.  Such  was  the  power  of  his  foot,  that  a  single  blow  was  enough  to 
crush  in  the  sides  of  a  horse ;  and  he  could  knock  down  the  strongest  man 
with  a  blow  of  his  tail.  He  coald  clear  thirty  feet  at  a  bound,  and  drag  with 
ease  the  largest  bullock.  His  roar  was  like  distant  thunder.  His  flesh  was 
eaten  by  the  Hottentots;  and  a  tribe  of  Arabs*  between  Tunis  and  Algiers, 
lived  almost  entirely  upon  it.  That  the  American  lion,  another  species  of  the 
rat,  was  better  known  by  the  name  of  the  cougar,  one  of  which  was  also 
before  them. 


He  said  that  the  zebra  was  a  most  elegant  animal,  scarcely  tameable ;  his 
skin  beautifully  soft,  adorned  with  riband-like  stripes.  In  the  female,  these 
srripes  wore  alternately  black  and  white,  and  in  the  male,  brown  and  yel- 
low. His  voice  resembled  the  hunter's  horn.  Numerous  troops  of  them 
were  often  seen  grazing  on  the  extensive  plains  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

Having  viewed  these  different  specimens,  they  next  entered  upon  the  bat 
and  armadillo  tribes,  among  which  were  the  leather-winged  bat  of  North 
America,  and  the  great-eared  bat  of  Europe;  the  armadillos,  of  South  Amer- 
ica, curiously  armed  with  hard,  shelly  plates,  and  very  beautiful  specimens  of 
these  curious  animals.  The  great  vampire  bats  of  Java  attracted  much  of 
their  attention,  and  the  more  so,  from  the  fact,  that  their  uncle  informed  them 
they  were  in  the  habit  of  suckinsr  the  blood  of  other  animals  while  they  were 
asleep.    That  there  were  several  species,  also,  of  them,  in  the  United  States. 

Uncle  Find-out  being  somewhat  fatigued,  sat  himself  down,  and  told  his 
pephews  they  cculd  amuse  themselves,  while  he  rested  himself  a  little.  They 
accordingly  proceeded  to  examine  the  following:  The  nine-banded  armadillo 
of  South  America ;  the  Brazilian  weazel,  of  South  America ;  the  cast  ant- 
e£ter.  male  and  female ;  the  Patagonian  cavy  ;  the  pouched  rat,  of  Florida ; 


10 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


the  sea-otter,  of  South  America ;  the  chamelion,  cf  Africa ;  the  lynx,  of  North 
Amenca ;  the  Guinea-pigs,  of  South  America,  which  they  considered  very 
beautiful  indeed  ;  the  crested  cavy,  of  South  America ;  the  musk-rats  of  North 
5  Asea-°tters^  f*  North  and  South  America  ;  the  rackoon  and  opossum, 
ci  is ortri  Amenca ;  the  crested  porcupine;  and,  for  the  first  time,  the  real 
firiped  pig,  presented  by  Mr.  Justice  Merritt,  winch,  barring  the  stripes,  was 
evidently  a  descendant  of  swinish  royalty ;  the  bay  lynx,  of  North  America ; 
the  three-toed  sloth;  the  Canadian  porcupine  f  the*Brazilian  porcupine.  The 
J  ava  musk,  a  very  delicate  little  animal,  was  occupying  their  attention,  when 
their  uncle,  clapping  his  hand  upon  their  shoulders,  aroused  them  from  their 
contemplations,  and  called  their  attention  to  the  Brazilian  and  royal  Bengal 
fcger,  a  rhinoceros,  with  horn  perfect,,  and  a  large  African  elephant. 


In  answer  to  some  inquiries,  Uncle  Pind-out  said,  the  tiger  alluded  to  was 
more  fierce  than  the  lion,  and  equalled  him  in  size  and  strength,  as  well  as 
ferocity ;  his  hair  was  rough  and  yellow  above,  with  transverse  black  stripes  j 
that  he  was  an  inhabitant  of  the  jungles,  in  India^  and  committed  the  greatest 
ravages — 

That  the  African  elephant  inhabited  Africa,  from  Senegal  to  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope ;  that  it  was  more  fierce  than  the  Indian  elephant,  its  tusks  much 
longer,  and  that  the  female  had  them  as  long  as  the  male — that  in  Siam  there 
was  a  species  of  white  elephant,,  which  was  held  in  great  religious  vener- 
ation— that  the  mammoth  and  mastodon  were  extinct  species  of  the  same 
class — that  the  rhinoceros  was  remarkable  fbr  the  thickness  of  his  skin,  and 
that  several  species  were  known  in  India  and  Africa. 

At  length  the  boys  read  the  following :  u  General  Tom  Thumb's  carriage- 
and  horses/'  and  they  almost  wished  they  had  been  as  small  as  the  general , 
and  when  their  uncle  gave  them  a  little  history  of  the  general's  travels,  and 
the  number  of  ladies'  kisses  he  had  received,  they  wondered  a  bit  of  the  ger*- 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


11 


eral  was  left.  Their  uncle  agreed  with  them,  for  he  declared  it  beat  "  all 
natur''  to  see  how  the  "  gals"  and  old  maids  ran  after  him. 


After  looking  at  some  passenger-pigeons,  a  red-breasted  crow,  scarlet  ibis, 
of  South  America,  the  white  ibis,  of  Java,  the  European  jays,  and  the  beau- 
tiful Peruvian  jay,  they  at  length  came  to  the  cases  containing  a  great  variety 

of  very  curiously-formed  fish, 
among  which  was  the  black- 
bodied  chactodon,  of  South 
America  ;  the  golden  chacto- 
don. of  South  America  ;  the 
zebra  chactodon  ;  the  electri- 
cal eel,  of  South  America. 
"  And  now,  boys,  this  curious 
fish  has  the  power  of  giving 
such  a  severe  shock,  of  an 
electric  nature,  that  both  men 
and  herses  are  knocked  down ; 
and  water,  as  well  as  met- 
als, transmits  the  benumbing 
shock.  The  electric  appa- 
ratus extends  all  along  the 


And  uncle  cried,  *  Alfred,  what  monstrous  ugly  tiling  is  this  with  a  long 
tail?" 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


13 


"  That  is  called  the  Devil-Fish,  and  you  may  well  call  it  ugly,  for  it  is  as 
ugly  as  the  old  fellow  himself,  that  we  hear  so  much  talk  about." 

After  looking  at  a  great  variety  of  other  fish,  such  as  the  sturgeon,  pike, 
John-dory,  skate,  flying-fish,  and  the  dolphin,  the  young  folks  got  among 
the  monkey  tribes; 

among  which  were  ^/  ^t®$iP^  /jf  i 

the  striated  and  tarn-  <~/"j£r^, 
arind  monkeys,  the 
black  orang-outang 
of  Africa,  the  blue- 
faced  baboon,  and 
the  whiskered  mon- 
key ; — and  here  the 
boys    roared  with 
laughter,  as  the  mon- 
key's peculiar  fash-  ^§ 
ion  of  wearing  whis- 
kers  corresponded  so  ^ 
completely  with  the  ** 
present  style  of  the 
don  whiskerandoes, 
that  the  boys  natu- 
rally concluded  that 
it  was,  to  say  the 
least,  a  very  apish 
fashion. 

"  And  what  great 
thing  is  this  ?"  they 
cried. 

"That is  the  great 
leather  turtle,  taken 
at  Sandy  Hook  in 
181],"  replied  the 
uncle. 

"  And  what  have 
we  here?  oh,  uncle, 
is  not  that  a  beauti- 
ful model  of  a  Brit- 
ish forty-four  gun 
frigate  ?" 

u  Indeed  it  is,  and 
shortly  you  will  see 
it  in  motion." 

"  Uncle,  let  us  go 
now  to  the  saloon." 

"With  all  my 
heart,"  he  replied. 

Upon  entering  of  which,  Uncle  Find-out  called  the  boys  to  notice  a  flag 
that  was  hoisted  by  order  of  General  Washington,  25th  November,  1783, 
at  the  Evacuation  of  New  York.  After  the  expiration  of  sixty-four  years, 
it  was  unfurled  to  the  breeze,  at  the  laying  of  the  comer-stone  of  the  Wash- 
ington Monument,  19th  October,  1847. 

"  Never  forget  the  stars  and  stripes  of  your  country,  my  boys.  Do  you 
hear?" 

"  Yes,  sir.    As  long  as  we  live  we  will  never  forget  the  flag  of  our  coun- 
try, nor  our  uncle,  who  taught  us  to  love  it." 
"Ah !  you  young  dogs — chips  of  the  old  block — thank  Heaven  for  that." 

2 


14 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


"And  uncle,  what  do 
you  call  that  ?" 

"  That  is  an  Egyptian 
mummy,  of  great  antiqui- 
ty. That  body  was  once 
alive,  as  we  are  now. 
Two  thousand  years  ago, 
perhaps,  it  underwent  the 
Egyptian  process  of  em- 
balming, which  preserved 
it  from  decay  and  decom- 
position." 

Uncle  Find-out  next  in- 
formed them  that  the  fero- 
cious-looking animal  rep- 
resented below  was  the 
sea-lion  of  the  Falkland 
Islands,  and  that  it  was 
extremely  savage  in  its 
nature. 

u  This  animal  appears 
to  be  a  seal,  is  it  not, 
uncle  ?" 

"  Yes,  it  is  the  common 
seal,  or  sea-calf,  of  North 
America." 

"  True ;  I  remember  the 
fur  of  some  seals  is  used 
for  caps,  coat-collars,  and 
other  purposes." 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


15 


"Bless  me !  what  have  we  here ?  The  hand  and  part  of  an  arm,  as  I'm 
alive." 

"  Yes ;  that  is  the  arm  of  the  celebrated  Tom  Trouble,  the  pirate,  who  was 
taken  after  a  severe  action,  in  which  he  lost  the  forefinger  of  his  hand.  He 
died  in  prison,  at  St.  Thomas,  while  under  sentence  of  death.  He  was 
afterward  nailed  to  a  plank,  and  exposed  in  the  harbor,  when,  strange  to  say, 
his  whole  body  became  bleached  and  preserved,  similar  to  this  arm,  which 
was  cut  off  by  an  American  seaman,  and  brought  to  New  York.  Here,  also, 
is  a  human  body,  found  in  1814,  at  Glasgow,  in  Kentucky,  in  a  saltpetrous 
cave,  nine  feet  under  ground.  A  very  curious  specimen,  and  in  fine  con- 
dition." 

"  I  suppose  the  saline  properties  preserved  the  body,  sir." 
"  No  doubt." 

"  And  here  is  the  foot  and  hair  of  another  one,  found  in  a  copperas  cave, 
on  the  Cave  Branch  of  Cumberland  river,  Tennessee." 

"  This  looks  very  different  from  the  other.  The  color  is  much  darker — 
more  the  color  of  liver." 

"  Yes,"  said  Charley ;  "  but  the  hair  does  not  seem  to  have  undergone  much 
alteration." 

"  Oh !  uncle,  did  you  ever  see  a  Neptune's  cup  before  ? — made  out  of 
sponge,  too  !  Isn't  that  curious  ?  I  guess  master  Neptune  must  be  a  curious 
fellow,  and  pretty  old,  too." 

"  Dame  Nature  has  many  curious  whims,  my  boys,  and  that  is  one  of  'em, 
I  suppose.    Now  then,  for  the  cabinet  of  fossils,  minerals,  &c." 


'  Indeed  these  are  beautiful.  Only  look  at  the  perfect  impressions  of  fish, 
leaves,  lizards,  and  shells.  Strange  such  tilings  should  be  so  marked  in 
gtones,  and  petrified  substances." 


"  What  beautiful  shells ! — the  pearl  and  nautilus  shells.  The  latter  is  found 
in  the  Indian  ocean  and  Mediterranean  sea.    In  calm  seas  it  is  seen  in  its 


16  SIGHTS  AND   WONDERS   IN  NEW  YORK. 


beautiful  shell,  sailing  along,  with  a  portion  of  its  body  hoisted  for  sails,  and 
using  its  feet  in  the  place  of  oars. 

tl  And  here  are  some  very  elegant  corals,  from  India  and  Florida,  among 
which  is  one  very  similar  to  the  human  brain.  These  are  the  ingenious 
work  of  marine  insects,  and  in  some  parts  of  the  ocean  form  complete  reefs, 
called  coral  reefs,  which  cause  impediments  to  navigation." 

"  And  here,  my  nephews,  are  specimens  of  marble  from  various  parts  of  the 
world ;  also,  of  different  varieties  of  coal,  porphyry,  agates,  and  other  val- 
uable stones.  You  can  examine  them  carefully.  From  them  you  can  fonn 
some  idea  of  the  extraordinary  substances  this  good  old  world  produces,  and 
also  to  what  perfection  man's  ingenuity  can  bring  them.  Many  relics  of  an- 
tiquity are  still  to  be  seen  in  various  parts,  decorated  with  the  marbles,  and 
so  on,  of  similar  quality  and  beauty  to  these  specimens. 

"  And  now,  my 
young  folks,  here  is 
a  boa-constrictor — 
a  serpent  that  is  of 
immense  strength. 
He  reaches  some 
forty  feet  in  length, 
and  can  crush  an 
ox  or  a  horse,  and 
then  swallow  him 
whole.  He  then 
lies  in  a  quiet  state, 
until  forced  by  hun- 
ger, which  is  about 
_  a  month  from  the 
H  time  he  seized  his 
~  last  prey,  when  he 
watches  his  oppor- 
tunity of  seizing 
another  victim." 

"  Let  us  go  on, 
uncle,  for  I  am  a 
bitter  enemy  to  all  snakes,  and  all  such  detestable-looking  creatures." 

"  Only  look,  uncle,  at  this  beautiful  temple.    Such,  I  suppose,  are  common 

in  China." 

"  Yes,  and  contain 
the  hideous  objects  of 
their  idolatrous  wor- 
ship. Here  is  a  statue 
of  the  Virgin  and 
Child,  carved  from  a 
single  tusk  of  an  ele- 
phant at  Rome — very 
creditable  to  the  tal- 
ent of  tbe  operator. 
And  this  is  a  hat 
made  by  a  poor  luna- 
tic, out  of  the  splints 
of  a  broom,  during  his 
tedious  confinement: 
just  notice  how  neatly 
it  is  made." 

"And  here,  uncle, 
is  a  piece  of  the 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


17 


keel  of  the  ship  Endeavor,  in  which  Captain  Cook  eailed  round  tho 
world." 

u  He  sailed  in  that  vessel,  I  believe,  three  times  round  the  globe  ?" 
"He  did." 

11  Here  we  have  the  bald  and  sea  eagles,  of  North  America — noble  birds ; 
the  crest  of  the  coat-of-arms  of  the  United  States,  of  which  we  ought  to  be 
proud; — notice  the  brilliant  plumage  of  these  macaws,  parrots,  and  other 
birds; — the  red-headed  parrot  of  South  America;  the  blue  and  yellow 
macaw  of  the  same 
country;  the  violet- 
colored  parrot  of 
Surinam;  the  Ethi- 
opian paroquet  of 

A frica ;  the  common  flllilKBl^/ * vHA 

peacock,  and  the 
white  peacock  of 
Asia,    with    their  Jjfijlll 
spread  tails. 

"  Now,  then,  for  fjj 
a  few  minutes  to 
look  at  the  Indian 
curiosities  —  weap- 
ons of  war,  clubs, 
canoes,  daggers,  &c. 
— among  which  is 
the  dagger  used  by 
Osceola,  the  cel- 
ebrated Seminole 
chief,  in  Florida. 

"  And  here  is  the 
coat-of-mail  worn 
by  the  army  of 
William  the  Con- 
queror, upon  his  in- 
vasion of  England." 

"Yes,  dear  uncle; 
and  here  is  the  head 
of  our  Savior,  sculp- 
tured in  porphyry. 
Is  not  that  very 
striking?  And  here, 
brother,  is  an  an- 
cient Swiss  cross- 
bow, that  will  send 
a  bullet  through  a 
thick  plank  at  a  dis- 
tance of  a  hundred 
yards." 

"  Suppose  we  go 
now  to  the  cosmo- 
rama  exhibition;  a  change  will  be  very  agreeable,  after  looking  at  so  many 
curiosities."  —  "With  all  our  hearts,  sir  —  novelty  is  always  pleasing." 
And  so  they  took  a  view  of  the  city  of  Paris — the  palace  and  garden  of  Ver- 
sailles; the  rock  of  Gibraltar;  the  island  of  St.  Helena,  with  Bonaparte's 
house;  the  city  of  Athens;  the  island  of  Malta;  the  mansion-house,  London; 
Jerusalem  from  the  mount  of  Olives ;  the  People's  square  at  Rome ;  the  cas- 
tle of  seven  towers  at  Constantinople ;  and  the  tomb  of  Hyder  Ali  Khan  at 
2* 


18 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


.  Seringapatam,  In  the  East  Indies.  Mr.  Barnum  has  two  hundred  different 
cosmoramic  views,  which  are  changed  every  week.  When  old  Uncle  Find- 
out  introduced  his  nephews  to  Miss  Fanny  Ellsler,  of  orang-outang  celebrity , 
she  received  them  with  all  the  customary  marks  of  Borneoan  politeness;  and 
as  she  acted  her  part  so  well  and  did  her  best  to  render  the  boys'  visit  agree- 
able, it  is  hoped  that  they  will  keep  her  in  remembrance.  The  following 
is  an  orang-outang,  with  a  chimpanse. 


On  leaving  the  orang-outang,  they  left  the  apartment,  and  in  passing  to 
the  lower  rooms  of  the  establishment,  the  attention  of  the  boys  was  called  by 
their  uncle  to  the  marsupial  tribes,  among  which  are  the  opossum  and 
the  kangaroo.    He  informed  them  that  the  greater  number  of  the  former 

thFi'MVPi  inhabited  America ; 

and  the  remainder 
of  the  species,  with 
the  kangaroo,  were 
found  in  New  Hol- 
land: that  the  opos- 
3  sum  was  about  the 
?size  of  a  cat,  but  its 
|  coat  gave  it  the  ap- 
*  p  e  ar ance  of  gre  ater 
f  size  ;  its  head  bore 
\  some  resemblance 
,  to  the  fox,  with  long 
>  inanimate  eyes  and 
'broad  and  translu- 
cent ears  like  the 
'  rat ;  its  tail  round 
and  nearly  a  foot 
long;   that  on  the 
ground  the  opossum 
was  slow ;  that  he 

climbed  trees  with  great  dexterity ;  that  his  food  consisted  of  birds,  which 
he  watched  for  in  the  foliage;  that  he  suspended  himself  by  the  tail,  which 
*yas  flexible  and  muscular,  and  in  this  position  waited  his  prey  for  several 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


19 


hours  at  a  time  ;  that  the  female  was  provided  with  a  pouch,  which  served 
to  lodge  her  young  during  the  period  of  suckling,  and  from  the  peculiarity 
of  this  organization,  they  had  obtained  the  name  of  marsupialia,  or  pouched 
animals; — that  the  kangaroos  were  remarkable  for  the  smallness  of  their 
forepaws,  and  the  length  of  their  hindlegs  and  tail,  upon  which  they  sat 
vertically  as  on  a  tripod  ;  by  the  assistance  of  those  great  paws  they  leaped 
very  well,  clearing  a  space  of  twenty  feet  at  a  bound  ;  that  they  inhabited 
New  Holland;  and  that  the  giant  kangaroos  stood  about  six  feet  high. 

Their  uncle  then  called  upon  them  to  notice  the  ostrich,  and  informed  them 
that  diis  bird  was 


noted  for  its  im- 
mense speed,  hav- 
ing baffled,  in  many 
instances,  the  fleet- 
ness  of  the  swiftest 
horse ;  that  this  bird 
laid  its  eggs  in  the 
sand,  which  were 
hatched  by  the  heat 
of  the  sun  ;  that  its 
feathers  were  very 
valuable,  and  were 
in  great  demand, 
among  the  fashion-  ' 
able  circles,  in  every 
portion  of  the  globe ; 
that  the  coronets  of 
the  nobility  of  for- 
eign courts  were 

ornamented     with  '=n^^-^^ss»s^^^^^^^^^s^^^ 
the  most  elegant  and  expensive  feathers  of  this  description,  and  which,  not 
unfrequently,  were  valued  at  one  hundred  dollars  a  plume. 

From  this  curious  bird,  they  reviewed  the  cases  of  shells,  found  in  nu- 
merous foreign  parts, 
many  of  which  were 
of  the  most  costly 
character  and  choice 
variety ;  some  of 
them  most  elegantly 
variegated;  others  of 
a  transparent  white- 
ness; and  many  of 
the  richest  colors 
and  shades. 

And  they  con- 
cluded that  it  would 
require  several  vis- 
its to  the  museum, 
in  order  to  effect  a 
careful  'examination 
of  even  the  numer- 
ous specimens  of  this  ( 
department  of  the 
establishment. 

Taking  their  leave,  the  whole  party  hastened  to  the  musical  and  vocal 
performances  in  another  part  of  tliis  extensive  building,  higldy  delighted  with 
what  they  had  seen.— the  good  old  Uncle  Find-out  making  his  nephews 


20 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


promise  him  that,  let  what  would  come,  they  would  always  patronise  the 
American  Museum  in  the  city  of  New  York. — And  you  may  be  sure  they'll 
be  ready  enough  to  do  so,  if  it  was  for  nothing  else  than  to  please  their 
uncle,  and  I'll  be  bound  they'll  need  no  coaxing.  If  you  doubt  it,  just  ask 
them  when  they  come  out  from  the  performance, — and  if  they  don't  say  yes, 
and  to  please  themselves  too,  all  I  can  say  is,  the  "critters"  will  beat  "all 
natur"  and  your  humble  servant  into  the  bargain.  Upon  retiring  to  the  hotel 
where  they  boarded  during  their  stay  in  the  city,  the  boys  were  desirous  of 
hearing  something  more  of  General  Tom  Thumb.  Their  uncle  was  dis- 
posed to  gratify  them,  and  accordingly  informed  them  that  the  general's  real 


name  was  Charles  P.  Stratton ;  that  he  was  bom  at  Bridgeport,  Connecticut, 
on  the  4th  January,  1832 ;  that  at  the  present  time  he  was  only  twenty-eight 
inches  high — free  from  all  deformity  in  shape,  and  perfect  and  elegant  in  his 
proportions — and  weighed  only  Jifteen  pounds;  that  his  complexion  was 
fair,  hair  light,  cheeks  fresh  and  rosy — had  large,  beautiful  dark  eyes,  a  fine 
forehead,  a  handsome  mouth,  and  great  vivacity  of  manner ; — that  when  exhib- 
iting, he  represented  the  characters  in  which  he  appeared  most  admirably, 
among  which  his  personations  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  and  Frederick  the 
Great  were  perfection  itself,  and  elicited  thunders  of  applause ; — that  he  was 
the  universal  favorite  of  the  ladies,  and  during  his  performances  the  museum 
was  filled  almost  to  suffocation ;  and  such  was  the  press  to  see  him,  that  hun- 
dreds had  to  retire  until  a  more  favorable  opportunity  presented  itself.  He 
was  visited  by  thousands;  On  the  18th  of  January,  1844,  he  went  with  Mr. 
Barnum,  his  parents  and  preceptor,  in  an  open  barouche,  preceded  by  a 
brass  band,  down  Fulton  street,  in  order  to  go  on  board  the  ship  Yorkshire, 
in  which  vessel  he  sailed  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  her  majesty  Queen  Vic- 
toria, the  royal  family  and  nobility  of  England — Louis  Philippe  and  the 
royal  family  of  France,  and  the  French  noblesse.  Upon  his  arrival  in  Eng- 
land, his  course  was  a  march  of  triumph.  He  several  times  visited  her 
majesty  Queen  Victoria,  Prince  Albert,  Queen  Adelaide,  &c,  and  received 
from  the  queen  and  other  branches  of  the  royal  family,  many  costly  presents, 


MARRIAGE  OF  MR.  ROBERT  HALES  AND  MISS  ELIZA  SIMPSON, 

THE  QUAKER  GIANT  AND  GIANTESS, 

Afl  IT  OCCURRED 

The  Stage  of  the  American  Museum,  Feb.  17, 1849. 


22 


SIGHTS  AND  WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


consisting  of  diamond-rings,  breastpins,  watches,  snuff-boxes,  &c ,  and  was 
called  "  the  pet  of  the  palace."  He  travelled  through  England,  Scotland, 
and  Ireland,  and  in  February,  1845,  Tjfoceeded  to  Paris,  and  appeared  in 
the  great  procession  at  the  Champ  Elysees.  He  visited  the  palace  of  the 
Tuileries  several  times,  and  was  loaded  with  presents  from  Louis  Philippe, 
the  queen,  princess  Adelaide,  the  Comte  de  Paris,  &c,  and  his  levees  were 
attended  by  the  beauty  and  fashion  of  France,  during  his  residence  there  of 
four  months.  Pie  visited  the  king  and  queen  of  the  Belgians ;  aud  from 
Bordeaux  he  proceeded  to  Spain,  and  was  presented  to  Queen  Isabella,  the 
queen  mother,  and  the  court  then  assembled  at  Pampeluna.  While  in  Lon- 
don, he  appeared  before  the  emperor  of  Russia,  the  king  of  Saxony,  r.r.d 
Ibrahim  Pacha.  His  career  has  been  a  most  brilliant  one,  and  he  bus  real- 
ized an  independent  fortune. 

He  then  gave  them  a  concise  history  of  Mr.  Ba.rnum.  This  gentleman 
(he  informed  them)  was  born  at  Danbury,  Ct.,  July  5,  1810;  at  the  usual 
age  he  entered  a  store  as  a  clerk,  and  afterward  opened  a  store  on  his  owe 
account.  He  subsequently  became  the  publisher  of  a  newspaper;  then 
removed  to  New  York,  and  engaged  in  various  travelling  exhibitions;  and 
in  1842  bought  the  American  Museum,  to  which  he  has  made  great  and 
expensive  additions,  as  has  been  stated ;  in  1844  he  went  to  Europe  with 
the  general,  visited  the  crowned  heads,  and  returned  with  half  a  million  of 
dollars.  He  informed  them  that  Mr.  Barnum  had  also  built  a  splendid 
mansion,  or  villa,  near  Bridgeport,  Ct.,  in  the  oriental  style,  with  outhouses 
and  other  suitable  buildings ;  and  that  this  magnificent  structure  is  of  a  com- 
posite order,  of  the  Byzantine,  Moorish,  and  Turkish  styles  of  architecture. 
Its  entire  front  is  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  feet,  the  wings  being  thrown 
off  irregularly,  with  domed  conservatories  at  each  extremity;  the  main 
building  consists  of  three  stones,  each  having  broad  piazzas  supported  by 
colonnades  of  graceful  pillars,  surmounted  by  minarets  of  the  most  elegant 
appearance.  Upon  entering  the  great  hall,  about  its  centre  springs  a  noble 
winding  staircase,  with  a  carved  balustrade  of  black  walnut,  which,  grad- 
ually contracting,  winds  to  the  observatory  in  the  central  dome;  the  niches 
of  the  staircase  are  embellished  with  marble  statuary  imported  from  Flor- 
ence ;  opposite  to  the  base  of  the  staircase,  large  sliding-doors  open  into  a 
very  beautiful  drawing-room,  the  walls  of  which  are  covered  with  a  rich 
fresco  paper,  the  principal  panels  of  which  represent  the  four  seasons:  the 
ceiling  is  of  rich  arabesque  mouldings  of  white  and  gold ;  the  mantels  of 
Italian  statuary  marble ;  a  royal  Wilton  carpet,  of  gorgeous  pattern,  covers 
the  floor  ;  the  furniture  is  of  rosewood  ;  the  curtains,  drapery,  statuary,  man- 
tel ornaments,  clocks,  &c,  are  of  unique  elegance ;  while  the  pier-glasses  at 
each  end,  and  the  large  folding-doors  opening  into  the  hall  and  dining-room, 
of  plate-mirror  panels  on  each  side,  apparently  multiply  infinitely  this  beau- 
tiful apartment.  Throwing  open  these  doors,  you  enter  the  dining-room,  an 
elegant,  square  room;  the  walls  are  painted  in  dark  English  oak,  the  rich 
panels  of  which  represent  the  three  fine  arts,  Music,  Painting,  and  Poetry, 
the  ceiling  has  richly-gilded  mouldings  ;  the  furniture  is  of  black  walnut, 
including  a  cabinet  of  rare  and  beautiful  porcelain,  among  which  is  a  harle- 
quin dessert-service,  every  piece  of  a  different  pattern,  lettered  with  the 
initials  "P.  T.  B.v  Uncle  F.  then  gave  the  following  description  of  the 
Chinese  library :  The  walls  are  covered  with  Chinese  landscapes  in  oil; 
the  bookcase  and  furniture  are  Chinese,  with  one  exception — a  superb  mar- 
quetry cabinet  of  brass  and  tortoise-shell,  a  fine  specimen  of  the  middle  ages. 
Contiguous  to  this  apartment  are  the  rooms  of  the  family,  consisting  of  bed- 
rooms, dressing-rooms,  bathing-room,  and  conservatory ;  the  second  story  is 
occupied  with  sumptuously-furnished  rooms,  a  picture-gallery  filled  with  rare 
paintings  and  engravings,  and  forming  a  passage  to  the  bijou  apartment  of 
the  villa,  Mr.  Bariiuni's  private  study,  the  walls  and  ceiling  of  which  arc 


84 


SIGHTS  AND   WONDERS  IN  NEW  YORK. 


hung  with  tho  richest  orange  satin,  with  curtains  and  furniture  of  corres- 
ponding elegance  ;  adjoining  this  is  a  bathing-room  with  plunge  and  shower 
baths  of  hot  and  cold  water.  The  principal  room  in  the  third  story  is 
designed  for  a  music  and  dancing  saloon,  and  opens  into  the  upper  front 
balcony,  from  which  is  a  commanding  and  beautiful  prospect  of  Long  Island 
sound  and  the  surrounding  country ;  and  a  still  finer  view  is  obtained  from 
the  richly-stained  windows  of  the  observatory,  which  is  sixty  feet  in  circum- 
ference, and  fitted  up  with  peculiar  and  effective  taste. 

This  splendid  villa  has  seventeen  acres  of  ground  around  it,  a  considerable 
portion  of  which  is  laid  out  in  gardens  and  pleasure-grounds,  ornamented 
with  trees  and  flowery  shrub?  of  every  description ;  the  ornamental  trees 
are  carefully  planted  to  the  best  advantage ;  the  grounds  are  interspersed 
with  flower-beds  of  every  device ;  and  the  effect  of  the  whole  is  greatlv 
heightened  by  the  splendid  fountains,  and  the  elegant  iron  fence  with  which 
it  is  enclosed.  The  name  of  the  villa  is  Iranistan  :  "  iran"  is  the  Persian 
name  for  eastern  country;  "  stan,"  as  in  Hindostan,  signifies  place. 

When  Mr.  Bamum  was  in  Paris,  he  was  present  at  the  sale  of  a  Rus- 
sian nobleman's  personal  effects,  at  which  sale  he  purchased  the  gold  and 
silver  plate,  among  which  was  a  tea-service  of  gold,  of  great  value  and 
beauty  ;  also  a  large  collection  of  rich  porcelain,  and  other  articles  of  great 
costliness. 

Uncle  Find-out  further  stated,  that  in  consequence  of  the  great  facilities 
enjoyed  by  Mr.  Barnum  for  famishing  instruction  and  amusement  for  the 
public,  (he  having  agents  travelling  in  Europe  and  all  parts  of  the  world, 
selecting  and  forwarding  the  richest  specimens  of  all  that  is  novel  and  cu- 
rious), he  has  taken  the  new  Museum  in  Philadelphia, — a  most  mag- 
nificent building,  Jive  stories  high,  recently  erected  by  Dr.  Swaim,  on  the 
corner  of  Seventh  and  Chesnut  streets, — and  fitted  it  up  in  a  style  superior 
to  that  of  any  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  world. 

The  citizens  of  the  quaker  city  now  pride  themselves  on  having  the 
greatest  and  best  assortment  of  natural  curiosities  ever  exhibited  in  one 
museum,  and  as  interesting  entertainments  as  are  furnished  in  any  city. 

Mr.  Barnum  deserves  their  everlasting  gratitude  for  opening  this  splendid 
establishment;  and  Philadelphians  and  their  visiters  will  reward  him  for  his 
eminent  exertions ;  while  the  ladies  and  children,  in  particular,  will  enjoy  the 
most  pleasing  performances,  which  are  chaste  and  entirely  free  from  any 
immoral  influences. 

Mr.  Barnum  (continued  Uncle  F.)  is  an  advocate  of  the  principles  of 
teetotalism,  and  is  a  blessing  to  the  country  round  about  by  his  persevering 
efforts  in  the  cause  of  temperance.  His  heart  and  purse  are  alwaj's  open  to 
the  worthy  unfortunate ;  and  the  gratitude  and  prayers  of  the  widow  and 
orphan,  assist  him  in  living  up  to  the  singular  but  appropriate  motto — 
"  Love  God  and  be  merry." 

Thus  you  see,  my  boys,  what  persevering  industry  will  do.  Prosecute 
faithfully,  as  Mr.  Barnum  has  done,  the  duties  that  fall  to  your  lot ;  be  vigi- 
lant, active,  and  industrious,  as  he  has  been ;  and,  with  the  smiles  of  Fortune, 
you  will  find  your  highest  hopes  crowned  with  success.  That  this  may  be 
the  case,  will  ever  be  the  ardent  wish  and  prayer  of  your  affectionate  uncle, 


Timothy  Find-out. 


4 


i 


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